(Nanowerk News) PI (Physik Instrumente), a leader in precision motion control solutions, will showcase an application of its 6-axis hexapod for motion simulation such as used to optimize stabilization systems on vessels, drones and even for cell phone cameras. PI hexapods are available in a variety of sizes with bases ranging from 100mm to 1m, different stiffness configurations, and supportive of loads from 2 kg to 1,000+ kg.

See drone motion simulators, actuators on Mars and more at PI’s AeroDef booth, #1053.

Piezo Ceramic Transducers and Smart Actuators

In addition to hexapods, PI will also show a variety of its world leading piezo ceramic actuators and transducers, such as the PICMA® Multilayer actuators and the DuraAct® flexible transducers.

Long-Life Temperature Tolerant Actuators

PI’s PICMA® piezo actuators were tested by NASA/JPL for the Mars mission and passed 100 billion cycles of life testing without failures. They also work over a large temperature range and are vacuum compatible.

Piezoceramic Flexibility and Adaptability

A very versatile thin lightweight device, PI’s piezoelectric patch transducers achieve a bending radii of 20 mm (0.8”) which allows it to be attached to moving structures where it gets deformed and generates charge transfers. Such adaptive technology and size allows bendable transducers to be used as both a sensor and an actuator in applications ranging from structural health monitoring to adaptive structures on aircraft.

Standard and Custom

PI has in-house engineered solutions with over 4 decades of experience working with customers to provide products that meet application demands, and can quickly modify existing product designs or provide a fully customized OEM part to fit the exact requirements of the application.

About PI

PI is a leading manufacturer of air bearing stages, piezoelectric solutions, precision motion control equipment, and hexapod parallel-kinematics for semiconductor applications, photonics, bio-nano-technology and medical engineering. PI has been developing and manufacturing standard & custom precision products with piezoceramic and electromagnetic drives for 4 decades. The company has been ISO 9001 certified since 1994 and provides innovative, high-quality solutions for OEM and research. The PI group employs more than 1,000 people worldwide in 15 subsidiaries and R&D / engineering centers on 3 continents.